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Atlas Copco Rental takes Concorde to the skies one last time with its PTS1600 mobile compressor

Atlas Copco Rental takes Concorde to the skies one last time with its PTS1600 mobile compressor

Paris, March 19, 2014: Thanks to Atlas Copco Rental PTS 1600 air compressor, Concorde, this legendary aircraft that many of ​​us dreamed about, makes its last trip to the Aéroscopia museum that is under construction near Toulouse, France.

March 19, 2014

The air supplied by the PTS1600 to company Navallon – specialist in lifting jobs - has been decisive to accompany the Concorde on its last journey to the Aéroscopia museum that is currently under construction in Blagnac, right next to the Airbus A380 production lines.

“We are very proud that Navallon chose to work with Atlas Copco Rental for this delicate operation.”

Thierry Monart, General Manager Atlas Copco Compressors France

To position the Concorde inside of the museum it was necessary to align this giant aircraft of almost 62 meters long, 26 meter wingspan and 70 tons to the exact centimeter. And the most delicate operation of all, which was performed by Navallon, was the final rotation of the Concorde inside the building, meaning in a particularly constrained space.

At first, the aircraft was lifted and placed on a system of air cushions: 5 cushions under each of the sides and 3 under the front undercarriages, in order to provide stability and an optimum rotation possibility in this quite narrow space.

The PTS 1600 compressor used for this operation allowed to pressurize the air cushions, and then to maintain a constant pressure for the duration of the operation. Thanks to Atlas Copco Rental the people from Navallon could fully concentrate on their moving of the Concorde, which was a high risk project for them.

This major logistics mobilization is expected to last three weeks since the same operation is planned for an Airbus A300 (wide-body jet airliner, developed and first manufactured in 1974) and finally for a Super Guppy (a large, wide-bodied cargo aircraft used for hauling outsized cargo components).

The PTS 1600 is a 100% oil-free diesel driven air compressor, Stage IIIB / Tier 4 compliant - making it the most environmentally friendly solution currently available on the market.

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Atlas Copco is a world-leading provider of sustainable productivity solutions. The Group serves customers with innovative compressors, vacuum solutions and air treatment systems, construction and mining equipment, power tools and assembly systems. Atlas Copco develops products and service focused on productivity, energy efficiency, safety and ergonomics. The company was founded in 1873, is based in Stockholm, Sweden, and has a global reach spanning more than 180 countries. In 2015, Atlas Copco had revenues of BSEK 102 (BEUR 11) and more than 43 000 employees.

Specialty Rental is a division within Atlas Copco’s Construction Technique business area. It serves customers in the industry segments around the world with temporary air, nitrogen, steam and power rental solutions. The specialty rental services are offered under several brands. The divisional headquarters is located in Houston, USA.